Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-12
BUSINESS STRDIy.IJ,

The theory of the survival Of the iitteSt
has frequent illustration in business and
professional circles. Young men are con-
tinually saying that. il they had capital,
they would do large things in trade. Capt.
tal is good thing, in the right place-in
the hands of persons who know how 10
use il. But il is not a requisite. Some of
the greatest business institutions in the
country were started without a money
basis and have been brought into great pro-
portions with only the money capital that
has been earned and acquired in their OPP
erationS.
The best kinds of capital are good sense.
determined spirit courage. persistence,
wise economiLing of means, an acquired
familiarity with the details of business. a
facility for close buying. a gift ar talent
for selling. facility and force in collecting.
and capacity To make business popu-
lar ana useful public feature. Men who
have qualities like these. or who set about
acquiring them, will get on in the world,
whether they have money TO begin with. or
not. II they haven't it, they will earn it
and get il.
These qualities are within the reach Of
all persons of ordinary sense and capacity.
Any Young man can cultivate his nerve: he
can persist in pursuing the best methods
known in his vocation: he can be induStri-
ouS and economical; he can acquaint him-
I self with true business methods; he can pay
l b. nd E.. ~ ,f l..lt a., h,,,
cautiously and intellicently; and he can do
what he undertakes 10 do in manner
which shall prove OF benefit Ia the COM
munity As we'll as to himself. The man,
young or old. who always does his best in
all circumstances, is always sure to work
/ up to the summit. except as he may be un-
/ fayOrably affected by accident and mSfor-
tunes over which he can have no control
But these are exceptional: they do not
affect the general trend of affairs in this
/ line.
! Every community affords ample illustra-
tion of the truth of what we have said in
the foregoing. Who are the men who are
ION top in business or professional circles
/ in this city Are they men who started life
with money capital? Not many of them.
and those who did hadn't much. But they
were industrious and energetic. They
did not waste time. strength or
money in dissipation. They made a
study of whatever they undertook. and
aimed to do their best. They worked hard.
and kept at it; and the more opposition they
had the harder they worked. They were
honest and faithful and welded their bust
ness in the public interest: /. C., they were
good citizens. They therefore earned pub
/ tom from their fellow-citizens. That is to
say-this is true of the men who have
earned and secured success in life These
are the men who are continually enlarging
| their business, and buying the buildings in
which they carry on their operations. while
/ the tricky. smart people. who try 10 defraud
and cheat people with poor goods at low
| prices and various dishonest devices. go TO
the wall. Perhaps they pack up their
goods in the night and ship them to some
other unfortunate community. or make an
assignment TO some man OF straw or re-
Sume the same line of business on a new
basis. But it doesn't pay-and never does
\ thief is a thief-as well in a palace as in
a hut. The man who survives is the one
who has shown himself fit to survive-whO
has earned survival.